How to get Android L’s fantastic new notification system on your phone right now

Google’s newly unveiled “Android L” software is the biggest upgrade to the Android platform that we have seen in quite some time. The software includes a complete redesign of the Android user interface that Google calls “Material Design,” and it marks a big and beautiful departure from earlier Android versions. But L is about much more than just looks. There are also thousands of new APIs for developers as well as tons of great new features.

And now, you can get one of Android L’s best new features on your smartphone without waiting for Android L’s release this fall.

Included among all of the nifty new features in Android L is a tweaked notification system that borrows some elements from Apple’s iOS platform. Apple borrowed Android’s notification system in iOS’s Notification Center, so why not return the favor?

In Android L, new notifications display in a pop-up at the top of the screen instead of just being dumped into the menu bar, and users can interact with them or dismiss them as they appear. It’s a fantastic upgrade for Android, and you don’t have to wait another minute to get it on your phone.

As noted in a recent post from Phone Arena, there are two methods that will bring this great feature to your phone.

For those of you with devices that run older versions of Android, or for people who don’t want to part with $1 for this awesome feature, you can root your phone and install a tweak that will bring heads-up notifications to your device. Instructions can be found in Phone Arena’s post, which is linked below in our source section.